


As Long As I Am Breathing

by perfectromanceinmymind



Series: Canon Compliant Samcedes Headcanons [6]
Category: Glee
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:21:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26368603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectromanceinmymind/pseuds/perfectromanceinmymind
Summary: The evening after Sam & Mercede's random Wednesday wedding continues.
Relationships: Sam Evans/Mercedes Jones
Series: Canon Compliant Samcedes Headcanons [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906393
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note: The Friends theme song really was written by a regular old rock music duo called The Rembrandts and the song was on their 1995 album L.P., which I owned on cassette and absolutely loved. This song has felt to me like a Sam one for a long time.

October 2022

After the hysterical giggles of their ‘oh-my-god-we-got-married’ moment faded, Mercedes soon found herself once again lying on the couch, wrapped in Sam’s arms and lost in his kisses. She was just reaching a point where she felt like it might be time for a little break when her stomach made the decision for her with a growl of hunger.

“Was that you?” Sam asked as they broke apart. “Are you okay?”

Mercedes flushed, embarrassed. “I’m fine. Just – hungry, actually. I got on the plane super early this morning and didn’t stop for lunch when I got to Columbus, so I haven’t eaten anything all day.”

Sam was instantly contrite. “Oh, man, I’m sorry, I didn’t even think to ask you about food or dinner or anything.” He was already up and moving into the kitchen. “Let’s see what I’ve got.”

Mercedes followed him, smiling. “Do you actually cook these days? You don’t just live on cereal anymore?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Ha, ha, Mercedes. I’m not a nineteen-year-old boy anymore, I am twenty-seven years old. I mean, I’m no gourmet chef, but I can grill meats and make spaghetti and bake a potato.”

“I actually don’t do much more than that, so I’m really not one to talk,” Mercedes admitted. “I mean, you lived in New York, you know how easy it is to just get takeout.”

Sam nodded as he stared into his freezer before finally pulling out a bag of frozen chicken breasts. “Grilled chicken?” he suggested. “And salad? I know it’s not very fancy or celebratory, but – “

Mercedes waved away his words as she came up beside him and kissed his cheek. “It sounds perfect. You get the grill ready and I’ll work on the salad.” He nodded and headed out the back door that led from the kitchen to the patio while she started pulling lettuce, tomatoes, and other veggies out of the fridge. Closing the fridge door, she paused, distracted by the items displayed on it – photo Christmas cards from some of their friends, a copy of the invitation to the New Directions brunch on Sunday. She leaned in closer to look at the picture of the 2012 incarnation of the club – sixteen members that year. It still amazed her. She smiled at the note on the invitation – “your assignment – don’t forget to prepare a song about friendship for the event!”

Sam smiled as he came back inside and saw what she was looking at. “We were a bunch of babies, weren’t we?” he said, as he came up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder.

“We do look so young,” Mercedes agreed, leaning into his embrace. “And we were only on round two of dating.”

“Fourth time’s the charm, right?” Sam said with a laugh as she shook her head.

“Speaking of that – us dating – being together – I was thinking, maybe – “she started to say, and Sam groaned, cutting her off.

“You don’t want to keep us being married secret from everyone, do you?”

“Well – not exactly,” she said slowly, tilting her head up to look at him. “Just until the brunch on Sunday?”

He sighed, albeit good-naturedly. “What’s your reasoning?”

“Look, let’s be real. I don’t care about most of the other people I graduated with. The New Directions were my real friends – our real friends. I’d rather wait and tell them all on Sunday. I was thinking we could pretend we were singing a song about friendship together, but actually pick out a love song?”

Sam grinned at that. “And then they’ll all be super-confused about what’s going on? Yeah, okay, I can go with that.” Her head was still twisted, looking up at him, so he gave her a quick kiss before heading back out to the grill with the chicken.

“I really am looking forward to seeing everyone,” Mercedes said later, as they sat at the table finishing up their meal. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

“It really is,” Sam agreed. “And I can’t wait to see my goddaughter again! It’s been almost six months since Blaine and Kurt were here for Easter.”

“It still kind of blows my mind that our friends have children,” Mercedes admitted as she carried their empty plates to the sink, Sam following her with their salad bowls.

“Just put them in the sink, I promise I’ll get to them later.”

Mercedes did so and then followed Sam back to the living room as he continued talking. “Yeah, it really is kind of weird to think about,” he said, as he sat down on the couch and Mercedes curled up beside him. “Hey, so we maybe should have talked about this earlier today – not that we haven’t over the years, but that was obviously more, like, not as real – but – do you want to have kids?”

Mercedes considered the question. “Honestly?” she finally said, looking up at him and he nodded and she continued. “I’m kind of undecided. I’m not, like, nope, never happening, but it’s also not something that I 100% know with certainty that I want. Does that make sense?

Sam nodded slowly. “Yeah, no, I get that. Like – you look at Blaine and Kurt. I mean, obviously, they can’t have an unplanned pregnancy. They really wanted that baby. And I can’t see us doing that right now?” Mercedes shook her head in confirmation and he continued, “So maybe I’m kind of undecided too – like, kids are a lot of work. You know, you used to help me watch Stevie and Stacy. It’s hard.”

“Yeah, and giving birth is no picnic either. I’ve helped with that too.”

Sam looked confused. “Wait – what?”

Mercedes laughed. “Oh Lord. I really do forget you didn’t move here until the second year of glee club. Anyway, I was in the delivery room with Quinn when she had her baby. It was – an experience for sure. I’ll never forget it.”

“No wonder you wanted to stay a virgin after that.”

Mercedes laughed, punching his shoulder as she did so, but then she actually contemplated his words for a moment before conceding. “Maybe on some level, yeah, that had a little to do with it. I saw firsthand the consequences of carelessness, it probably did scare me a little.”

“Makes sense. So, I guess that means it’s a yes on birth control, not that I haven’t always, always worn a condom every time, ever, anyway. And I get an STD test done with my physical every year, so I know I’m clean.”

“Was that recent, then?” Mercedes asked quietly, trying not to blush. She knew it was important to talk about all this, but it didn’t make it any easier as a topic of conversation.

“Back in March, but,” Sam shifted on the couch so he could see her face, sensing what she was really asking, “the last time I was with anyone was last fall.”

She studied him carefully, as if gauging the veracity of his statement. “Really?” she said. “That long?”

He nodded.

“But why not?”

He almost laughed. “What, do you want me to have been out gettin’ it on with every girl in town?”

“Well, no of course not. I just thought – “her voice trailed off as she realized she really didn’t know what she thought.

“Listen, ‘Cedes, you know better than anyone – I am not some major stud. I am the world’s biggest dork and I am actually not that great at snagging women. I mean, for God’s sake, it took me eleven years to finally get you for real, right?”

She was laughing for real now. “That is true.” She flashed him a sassy grin. “And you still haven’t totally closed the deal yet here,” she teased before turning serious again. “I just – I don’t like thinking about – the other ones.”

“What other ones?” Sam said, perfectly serious and Mercedes rolled her eyes in response. “No, seriously. I don’t give a shit about any of those others, and there really weren’t that many of them anyway, but still, whatever, because fact. There is no one else but you now. And honestly, that’s why it’s been almost a year – because we’ve been getting closer and even though there’s been nothing romantic about our phone calls and everything, I just – no one I met was you, as cool as you, as sweet as you, as pretty as you, as sexy as you – and so I just didn’t even want to bother.” He’d punctuated each descriptive phrase with a kiss and Mercedes felt like she was melting into a puddle beside him by the time he finished the sentence and pulled her into a deep, searching kiss.

“Okay?” he whispered as they broke apart and Mercedes nodded, not trusting herself to speak yet.

“So,” she finally said, “back to the birth control topic – I am actually on the pill – I have been for a few years, to keep my cycle regular, so since you know you’re good and we know I’m good, then I guess you don’t really have to wear a condom if you don’t want to, I’ve always heard guys don’t really like them and – Sam? Are you okay?”

His face had gone a little slack and his eyes seemed to be a little glazed over until he shook himself a little, rubbing a hand across his face. “I’m sorry. I swear to God, on my mama’s life, I am not going to rush you or push you about any of this, but I – oh my God, Mercedes, when I think about finally getting to make love to you, after all this time, I just – my brain breaks. I don’t know how else to describe it. I’m sorry. I can’t help it, I just – you -”

Mercedes honestly wasn’t sure whether to be embarrassed by or proud of this statement, so she settled for burying her face in his shoulder as he laughed softly and kissed the top of her head.

They sat in silence for a minute or two, snuggled close together until finally Sam shook his head. “I don’t know how we are going to get through two days of reunion activities without anyone figuring us out. I guess at least we don’t have – “he abruptly cut himself of and stood up and walked to the bedroom, Mercedes watching him curiously. She could hear him rummaging around in a drawer or something before he finally returned, carrying a small jewelry box. She gave him a questioning look as he returned to his place beside her on the couch.

“So, I was about to say, at least we don’t have rings, and then I remembered this,” Sam explained, handing the jewelry box to her.

“I don’t understand,” Mercedes said in confusion as she opened the box to see an amethyst ring that was antique in both the stone setting and obviously the ring itself. “Oh, Sam, this is gorgeous,” she breathed as he took the box back from her and reached for her left hand to slide the ring on her ring finger. She leaned over to kiss him and then sat back, arm outstretched in front of her so she could admire the ring on her hand. The she turned back to him, still confused. “But – how - why –“

“It was my great-grandmother’s,” Sam explained. “Even during the really bad years, my mom couldn’t bring herself to part with it, even when they sold just about everything else of value, she kept this hidden away. And she gave it to me on my twenty-first birthday, to give to my wife one day.” He reached for her hand, kissing her knuckles just above the ring itself. “I think she’ll be glad to find out that you’re the one wearing it,” he said softly, “I mean, if it’s okay? As a wedding ring? Or like, instead of a band and engagement ring, just the one ring?”

Mercedes smiled. “It’s perfect, Sam. Absolutely perfect. And,” she said, getting up and going to her carry-on tote, “you just reminded me that I picked up something for you today before I left New York.” She came back to the couch with a small jewelry box of her own. She handed it to him and he opened it to find a men’s wedding band, simple and clean, but somehow very Sam.

His eyes lit up and he smiled at her. “Put it on me?” he said, holding it out to her and she shook her head. “No – you have to look at the inside first,” she replied, giggling as he brought the ring closer to his face to see what she’d had inscribed.

“Why are you laughing?” he was asking as he squinted at the ring and then he was laughing too. “Really, Mercedes? Really? You had it inscribed with ‘MINE’?”

“You’re damn right,” she laughed. “Just like I was gonna spray paint that bus,” she reminded him as she put the ring on his left-hand ring finger. He slid his right arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “God, that bus. I swear, I almost un-broke-up with you right then and dragged you up to my room.”

“Really,” Sam said incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head. “You really had no idea how hard it was for me to keep turning you down, keep you at bay, making us both follow the rules. I wanted to be ready so badly – but I wasn’t and I knew it, but that didn’t make it any easier.”

“It’s okay. You’re ready now,” Sam said quietly.

She studied him for a moment. “That’s not the only reason you said yes to marrying me, is it?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Yes, Mercedes,” he said sarcastically. “I said yes to marrying you only because it’s apparently the only way to get you into my bed. Not because I love you or because you’re my best friend or because my life has never been quite right when you’re not fully in it.”

She still looked a little skeptical and he stood up again, this time going to the apartment’s other bedroom and returning with his guitar.

“Okay. So one of my classes last spring was about writing TV theme songs and commercial jingles –“

“That is a real class?”

“Yup. Awesome, right? Anyway, obviously one of the TV theme songs they talked about was the Friends one – “ here Mercedes did the clap-clap-clap-clap from the start of the song and Sam laughed “- and it actually was written by these guys who’d been writing like, regular, rock music together for a while, so I downloaded the album with the Friends song on it and one of the songs, well, it’s really stuck with, ‘cause it makes me think of you, so can I play it for you?”

Mercedes smiled. “I will never turn down you playing music for me.”

Sam smiled back and began to sing, hoping that this would make perfectly clear exactly how he felt.

_Now maybe it don't show, but this feelin' inside_ _  
It fills my world, with hope  
Oh yeah it fills my heart-it fills my heart with pride_

_There ain't no room-ain't no room to doubt_ _  
What this good thing's all about  
So I will tell it to you, oh I'll tell it to you  
Again tonight, again tonight_

_Don't you know that I'll-I'll be your man_ _  
As long as I'm livin'-by you I'll stand  
Baby don't you know I'll-I'll be your man  
As long as I-as long as I am breathing_

_And if you feel insecure, and the world around is grey_ _  
Well baby you can, rest assured  
That I won't run away-run away_

_Don't you know that I'll-I'll be your man_ _  
As long as I'm livin'-by you I'll stand  
Baby don't you know I'll-I'll be your man  
As long as I-as long as I am breathing_

_As long as blood is coursing through my veins, I'm gonna make it right_ _  
This love will never end  
And as long as we can lift our heads above the clouds, to see the light  
This love will never end_

_Oh honey now, let me tell it to you, 'cause I think you ought to know_ _  
Let me say it now, and forever  
'Cause it's the only way-the only way I know_

_Can't you see that I'll-I'll be your man_ _  
As long as I'm livin'-by you I'll stand  
Baby don't you know I'll-I'll be your man as long as I-as long as I am breathing  
As long as I am breathing  
As long as I am breathing  
As long as I am breathing_

The song may have talked a lot about breathing but it was also kind of leaving Mercedes breathless. She knew Sam loved her – that fact had never been in question – and she wouldn’t have even started thinking about this whole marriage thing without knowing that, let alone actually going through with it – but the depth of his emotion – well, it had never failed to leave her dumbstruck, even now, after all these years and lives lived separately for so long.

“That was beautiful,” she whispered.

He smiled as he set the guitar aside. “I’m glad you liked – hey, are you okay? Are you crying?”

She started to shake her head but then blinked and realized that yes, there were tears in her eyes and then she laughed. “I guess I am. I don’t even know why!”

Chuckling, he moved from the armchair back to the couch and pulled her up close beside him. “Well, it’s been kinda of a big day. Traveling, getting married, you know.”

She laughed, snuggling into his side. “Yeah. A big day for sure,” she agreed.


	2. All of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Spice Girls once famously sang, tonight is the night when 2 become 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love scenes are not necessarily my forte but when you write a story about a couple who decided not to have sex until they were married and the story starts with their wedding, it's kind of a given that it needs to be part of it. I hope it works.
> 
> The song for this bit is "All of Me" as performed by Sam Palladio and Clare Bowen on the TV show Nashville. It is not at all like the much better-known John Legend song of the same name.

_So close the door and throw away the key - Baby, give me all of you and I will give you all of me…_   
  


  
“It really has been a big, long day,” Mercedes said a few minutes later, reaching across Sam to pick her phone up from the end table so she could check the time. “And it’s getting super late.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “So – to bed?”

She nodded. “Actually, I think I’d like to take a shower first, if that’s okay. Get that airplane air off me.”

“Totally understand,” Sam said, getting up from the couch and heading towards the bedroom with her suitcase and setting it in a corner of the room. “Tomorrow, I’ll get some space cleared out of the drawers and the closet for you so you can unpack.”

She smiled as she followed him into the bedroom. “Thank you,” she said quietly, feeling the butterflies coming back as they stood in the bedroom together.

He gestured towards the bathroom door. “Bathroom is there – there’s a closet with extra towels in there too. Oh!” he added, as if something had just occurred to him and he walked into the bathroom himself and quickly re-emerged with a set of sheets in his hands. “While you shower, I’ll change the sheets. It’s probably been longer than it should have been,” he admitted, and Mercedes laughed.

“Very thoughtful,” she said as she knelt by her suitcase and quickly found what she needed before heading into the bathroom.

Once inside the smaller room with the door closed, Mercedes took a deep breath. She knew there was no reason to feel so nervous. She and Sam had slept in the same bed for months the last time they dated, and he had always respected her boundaries. She knew she could trust him, believe him when he said that nothing would happen that she wasn’t okay with – but it was still nerve-wracking, this next huge step in their relationship that would be happening, if not tonight, then very soon.

“Okay. Get a grip, Jones,” she finally muttered to herself as she stepped into the tub and under the running water.

Fifteen minutes later, she stepped back out into the bedroom to find Sam finishing up putting the clean sheets on the bed, dressed for bed in pajama pants and an ancient McKinley Titans t-shirt that had obviously been washed so many times it was nearly threadbare and was probably just a smidge too tight. She let herself look admiringly at the body that was outlined there – he clearly somehow still found time to work out or get to the gym or something.

Sam started to speak before he looked up and he interrupted himself when he saw her. “Hey, that was fa—wow.”

Mercedes glanced down at herself. “What? You’ve seen me in pajamas before,” she said innocently.

Sam rolled his eyes, walking towards her. “Yeah, _pajamas_. Like, matching t-shirts and pants sets. Not a short little fancy thing,” he said, running his hands down her bare arms before putting his arms around her waist.

She tried not to let him see how his touch affected her and rolled her own eyes back at him. “This is, like, the simplest nightgown. But, if you think it’s fancy, then, well, don’t you think our wedding night deserves a little fancy?” She smiled, looping her arms around his neck and he grinned back in agreement as he leaned down to kiss her.

It was a fairly simple soft cotton chemise. It wasn’t lacy or see-through or even terribly low-cut. But it was a little short and it did have spaghetti straps, so he wasn’t wrong that it was definitely different from what she normally would wear to sleep in. She hadn’t wanted to go all Frederick’s of Hollywood or anything and put on some skimpy negligee or ridiculously complicated piece of lingerie – but she had felt like the night warranted more than her standard PJ sets.

She glanced at the bed as they broke apart. “Do you only have one pillowcase?” she asked, realizing that only one of the pillows was covered.

“Oh! No,” Sam said, shaking his head. “I was waiting to see – I thought you might have brought one of your silk ones.”

Mercedes looked at him in surprise, genuinely touched that he would remember this small detail from so many years ago. “Really? You remembered that?”

“Of course I did,” he replied simply and she could feel herself melting all over again. 

“I love you,” she said, giving him another kiss before going back to her suitcase to grab one of the pillowcases that she had indeed packed.

She turned around to find that he had gone ahead and gotten in the bed, so after dressing her pillow in the case, she took another deep breath and got under the covers beside him. She had tried to be subtle about it, but he was turned on his side, watching her, and she knew he probably saw it.

“C’mere,” he said softly, patting the bed right next to him, and she obliged, sliding up close to him.

“I’m sorry,” she said before he could say anything. “I’m just – “

“Stop it,” he said firmly. “Stop apologizing. It’s okay. I told you, no pressure.”

She looked down. “I know. I don’t feel pressured, not by you. But I – I want it to – I want to – do it right, I guess? So it’s good for you? I don’t know. Oh my God,” she muttered, feeling like a big baby and a moron too. “I sound so dumb.”

Sam almost laughed but managed to catch himself, realizing just how serious she was. “Mercedes. Look at me,” he said, tipping her chin up so she had to meet his eyes. “You do not sound dumb. You just don’t have the experience yet and that’s okay. You’re a fast learner – I think you’re going to catch on quick.” He grinned when she actually cracked a small smile at that statement and then continued speaking.

“And no matter what happens, I’m going to be fine – I will enjoy myself. I’m way more concerned about making it pleasurable for you –“ Mercedes couldn’t help it, she blushed at these words “- ‘cause it’s a lot easier for guys to get off than for women and if we’re being perfectly honest here, it’s been such a long time for me and also I have been wanting this with you for SO long, that my biggest fear right now is that it’ll be over almost before it starts, okay? The last thing I want,” he admitted, “is to embarrass myself in front of you.”

Mercedes blinked a couple of times before saying, “I guess I never thought about it like that.

Sam smiled, reaching for her hand, interlacing their fingers together. “I keep trying to tell you. This really is as big a deal for me as it is for you. You’re not doing it for me, right? You’re doing it _with_ me.”

Mercedes nodded. “I – had actually not thought about it that way either. But that’s exactly right. Thank you,” she said quietly, and Sam shrugged.

“For what? Being a decent man?”

“Well, yeah. And for being honest and transparent because that’s actually really, really sexy,” she admitted.

Sam grinned. “Okay. So. You wanna just make out for a while and see where it goes?”

Mercedes nodded, smiling at him. “Yes. I think I would like that very much,” she replied, and he grinned.

“Ground rules?” he asked. “I think that last time around we’d made it to above the waist, under the clothes but over the bra? But obviously,” here his eyes almost automatically strayed to the V-neck of her nightie and the bit of her cleavage he could see there, “the bra has been removed from the equation, so…where are we then?”

Mercedes contemplated this for a moment before shaking her head. “No. No ground rules. If anything feels like too much, more than I’m ready for, I’ll tell you.”

Sam’s eyes searched hers. “Really? You’re sure?”

She nodded. “Yes. I married you today. I told God and the state of Ohio that I trust you with my heart and with my life. And so now I’m telling you that I trust you with my body. So, no. No ground rules.”

“God, Mercedes,” Sam groaned, closing his eyes. Somehow, more than any of the previous conversation or anything else that had happened that day, somehow those were the words that just about did him in. He opened his eyes, meeting her eyes. “I love you so much,” he whispered, covering her mouth with his before she could respond.

“I love you too,” she finally whispered back when he pulled away from her mouth and started planting kisses down her neck instead.

_Your touch, your touch is everything now…_

It was just kissing at first, sweet, languid kisses that slowly grew in their urgency but it also wasn’t just kissing, as his hand slid under the hem of her nightgown, skimming up her thigh to settle at her hip, pulling her closer to him, shifting as one of her legs wound up between his. And her own hands were moving, almost of their own accord, sliding under his t-shirt, relishing in the feel of his muscles under her palms, pushing the shirt up further until he finally pulled away from her for a moment and quickly yanked the shirt off, tossing it aside somewhere before settling back into their embrace.

“Better?” he murmured teasingly, and she nodded.

“Much,” she agreed, hesitating only for a moment before breaking the embrace again to reach for the bottom of her nightie, which by this point, was bunched up under her breasts anyway, so it was more uncomfortable than anything, pulling it over her head and sending it to its own spot on the bedroom floor before looking at Sam again, who was grinning at her.

“Much, _much_ better,” he said, his voice husky with desire.

“You would think so,” she laughed, fighting the urge to feel self-conscious under his gaze. He seemed to understand though and soon pulled her back against him, both of them shivering with desire and anticipation as skin met skin for the first time. _  
  
All of you fits so perfectly with me…_

It just felt so right – their bodies pressed together as if they were always meant to be that way. Mercedes gave herself over to the feelings, the sensations, to his touch.

They shifted again, Sam moving his body over hers. At some point, his jammie pants had been removed, leaving only Mercedes’s panties between them.

“Okay?” he whispered, brushing his lips gently over hers as his hands went to the waistband of said panties.

She started to nod, then suddenly asked, “What if I said I wasn’t?”

Sam studied her for a second before answering. “I mean – I’d be bummed, for real, and I’d definitely have to step away for a few minutes to, um, - take care of things,” he said, glancing down the length of their bodies to where she could feel exactly what ‘things’ he was talking about, “but I’d still love you and there’s always tomorrow – “

Whatever else he was going to say was lost as Mercedes pulled his face to hers and kissed him, happy tears unexpectedly filling her eyes.

“Right answer?” he asked with a grin and she laughed.

“Yes, right answer. I mean, I really was okay before that too, but…” her voice trailed off as he kissed her again.

“Yeah, I kinda figured,” he said, and she laughed again, her heart soaring. This was exactly what she had always hoped for – the lust, the pleasure – but also the laughter, the respect, the trust. Somehow, she could see in Sam’s eyes that he felt the same.

_Your kiss just a taste of everything I need……Your kiss is a taste of everything that's right - your love is a fire burning up the night…_ _  
  
_

And then he was kissing her again and it felt like his hands were everywhere and at some point her panties finally did disappear somewhere and then finally he was inside her, their bodies joined in the physical representation of the legal and spiritual commitment they’d made earlier. Their eyes met and she could tell the moment felt as sacred to him as it did to her.

“Mercedes,” Sam breathed and her name sounded like a prayer on his lips and she tried to reply but could only manage a soft ‘oh’ in response, realizing she was having trouble catching her breath and then he began to move and she moved with him like they’d been doing it forever, little ribbons of pleasure unfurling deep within her, and she closed her eyes and for a minute she wondered why she’d ever worried about the whole thing, thought that of course her body somehow knew exactly what to do, because this was Sam and that was somehow just how it worked and then she couldn’t think at all anymore.

_  
Just one look and I can barely breathe - I feel your golden eyes burning right through me…  
  
I'll pull you close, I know what you need…_

__  
Baby, give me all of you and I will give you all of me -  
All of me


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bonus! The rest of that first night and the next day and this will be all in this story for now. The reunion weekend will be covered in Dancing with Dreams. After that, I might come back to this one for further moments, so I'm going to leave it as in-progress for now, but that may change to complete later. We'll see. At any rate - enjoy this series of moments - there are a few parts I'm particularly proud of, because they made me laugh as I wrote them, so I hope they do the same for you!

Mercedes wasn't sure how long they lay there afterward, Sam collapsed on top of her but eventually he rolled off her and onto his back, turning his head to look at her and reaching out his hand towards hers. She took it and he tugged her towards him.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, brushing her hair away from her face as she turned to lay on her side next to him and she nodded.

"Yeah. I – that was -" she faltered, not sure of what she exactly wanted to say, unable to find the words to express how powerful it all was, and he laughed softly.

"Yeah. I know," he said, leaning over to kiss her.

She smiled, watching as his head fell back to the pillow, his eyes drifting closed, a slight smile on his face. Finding the top sheet, she pulled it up over them and then lay back down on her side, looking at him.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?" he replied, not opening his eyes.

"So – what happens now? Do we just go to sleep?"

He laughed again. "I mean – not necessarily. We can always do it again in a little while, but you gotta give me a little time to recover here."

"Oh my God, Sam," she replied, rolling her eyes at him. "I didn't mean – I mean, well, maybe –" here he opened one eye and grinned at her, saying, "unhhuh, I thought so" and she playfully slapped at his shoulder.

"Shut up," she told him affectionately and he rolled onto his side, facing her.

"There's no rules, 'Cedes," he said gently. He thought for a minute and then added, "Except that you probably should go pee at some point, so you don't get a UTI."

He was right, she realized; she vaguely recalled reading this piece of advice in various women's magazines over the years. "And how do you know that?"

He shrugged. "Emma's pamphlets," he said matter-of-factly, and Mercedes almost laughed. Of course.

"Okay," she said. 'I know this is going to sound really dumb, considering all –" here she waved her hand between them "- this, but can you not look as I go to the bathroom?"

Sam looked confused. "I'm not going in there with you, so yeah?"

"No, I mean –" she sighed, feeling silly. "I mean, not look as I walk, naked, across the room?"

Understanding dawned on his face. "Oh, I gotcha." He shrugged. "I won't look, I promise. Even though I've already seen everything and it's fantastic," he added, and she smiled, a tiny bit self-consciously.

"I know, I know, it's ridiculous but – it's just different, somehow, okay?"

"Okay," he said, shrugging again, turning onto his other side, so he was facing the wall opposite the bathroom. "Oh, hey," he said, reaching down to the floor and turning back around, holding something out to her. "Here's my shirt, does that help?"

Mercedes sat up and took the t-shirt from him in one hand, holding the sheet up to her chest with the other hand. She burst out laughing. "Boy, this shirt was too tight on you and you think I can fit in it? I won't even get one boob in this thing."

He laughed, his gaze flicking towards her chest. "Now that I've finally gotten to see them and actually touch them uncovered – yeah, probably not."

"Sam!" She threw the t-shirt at him.

"What?" he said in mock-innocence, grinning as he ducked the flying shirt. "I mean that in a totally respectful and grateful way." He held his hands up in prayer pose in front of him and said, "Dear sweet baby Jesus, _thank you_ for my wife's amazing breasts. They are beautiful and I will never get tired of appreciating them, amen."

"SAM!" Even as she said his name in mock outrage, Mercedes was laughing so hard she was almost crying. "Oh my God, that is not appropriate! Especially not to the _infant_ Jesus!"

Sam shrugged. "Why not? Infant Jesus would have been grateful for breasts too. There was no formula back then, you know Mary had to breastfeed him."

Mercedes opened her mouth and then closed it again. She had absolutely no response to that.

"I mean, obviously, infant Jesus didn't appreciate them in the same way I do, but still," Sam continued. "Besides," he grinned, launching into a Will Ferrell as Ricky Bobby impression, "It's my prayer and I prefer to pray to the Christmas Jesus."

"Oh, good God," Mercedes said, still laughing. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

"A lifetime of love and laughter, I hope," Sam said, with a grin, rolling back over to face the wall. "Now go on, I'm not looking, I promise."

Still laughing a little, Mercedes slid out of the bed, first hurrying to her suitcase and digging around until she located the lightweight robe she had packed and then stepping into the bathroom to take care of things. Once finished, she slipped into the robe, washed her hands and studied herself in the mirror.

She didn't look any different. Her hair was a _disaster_ , her face a little flushed and her lips a little swollen from all the kissing, but other than that, she didn't look any different than before, not that she'd really expected to, that was silly, but she felt so different. The way Sam had looked at her, touched her, made her feel…

She teared up a little, thinking back to the girl she'd been before she met him, even after she'd met him, actually, before they'd started seeing each other in a different light. Freshman year she hadn't even bothered to look at any guys at school. Sophomore year she'd let herself crush on a boy who was so obviously not attracted to girls. Junior year had been a series of third wheel escapades – tagging along with Kurt and Blaine, sleepovers with Kurt and Rachel, where they had both at least had crushes to talk about while she hadn't even allowed herself to admit yet then that she thought Sam was cute, and then, of course, the fateful 'prom threesome' with Rachel and Sam that had turned into just her and Sam and changed her life forever. Thinking back to how she'd cried over not having a prom date at all at first, she wished she could go back and tell herself that this night was coming, that all the tears and heartache would be left behind one day.

Wiping her eyes, she headed back into the bedroom, dropping her robe on the chair by the bed and crawling back under the covers beside Sam, still lying with his back to her side of the bed. She slid up behind him, pressing herself up against his back and putting an arm around his waist and when he didn't really move even then, she realized as she listened to his slow, even breathing that he had fallen asleep. She smiled and dropped a kiss on his shoulder blade before settling in and falling asleep beside him.

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The beeping. What the hell was that beeping? Where was it coming from?

Mercedes was not necessarily much of a morning person and it had been a ridiculously huge long day the previous day and so when she first opened her eyes the next morning, she had nearly forgotten where she was. After blinking a few times, Sam's face came into focus and it all came rushing back to her.

He had rolled back towards her sometime in the night and she apparently had rolled the other direction as well at some point so when she woke up, she was lying more on her back while he was on his side facing her, one arm flung across her chest, hand resting on the boob furthest from him, and she couldn't help but laugh to herself. He really, _really_ did seem to have a thing for them. She wasn't quite sure she understood it – they'd mostly always just been a pain in the ass to her, trying to find a decent-fitting, nice bra to put them in, but if they made him this happy, well, then, she was willing to be grateful for them.

She squinted across him and realized the beeping was coming from his phone, laying on the nightstand.

"Sam," she said, shaking his shoulder. "Baby, wake up. Your alarm is going off."

"Wha time izzit?" he mumbled, not opening his eyes.

"I don't know, probably 6 something?" she guessed, based on knowing that classes started at 8:30.

"Don't wanna go to school today."

She laughed at that. "Honey, you have to go. You're the teacher."

"Aw shit," he said, opening his eyes and sitting up. "I forgot." He looked at her. "Hey."

"Hey," she replied, propping herself up on her elbow, her head resting on her hand. "Can you please make that awful noise stop?"

"What?" He blinked a few times, the beeping finally seeming to register with him as he reached for his phone, stabbing at the screen a couple of times before, mercifully, the horrendous noise finally ceased and Mercedes breathed a silent prayer of thanks.

"We're going to have to find you a different sound for that," Mercedes said. "I can't wake up to that every day for the rest of my life."

Sam grinned at that. "So we really did get married yesterday? I was half-afraid it was all a dream."

"No, I'm pretty sure it was real," Mercedes laughed.

"Well, you're here in my – our – bed," Sam said "and," he added as he made a show of peeking under the sheet, "it looks like we're both naked here, so I think things definitely got pretty real."

Mercedes just shook her head as she reached over and ran her hand down his chest. "Crazy man," she said indulgently. "You know they did."

He caught hold of her hand. "I know," he said as he slid back down until he was lying beside her again and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "I know," he repeated, more quietly, before dipping his head and kissing her.

She let herself get lost in the kiss for a minute before pulling back. "Sam, it's a school day…you have to go to work."

He frowned. "I still don't want to go."

"Don't you really kind of have to, though?"

"Maybe not," he said thoughtfully, reaching for his phone and tapping at the screen a few times and then holding it up to his ear.

"Hey, Will, it's Sam…yeah, listen, I need to take a personal day today, can you cover my two classes and New Directions practice?...no, everything's fine, I just need, like, a mental health day before everyone starts showing up for the reunion tomorrow, you know?...yeah, I'm still trying to figure out what to say to Mercedes…I don't know, I've got a good feeling about things, but…yeah, okay, listen I really appreciate it, I'll be there tomorrow for sure…okay, bye."

He tapped the 'end call' button, set the phone down on the nightstand and turned back to her. "Now – where were we?"

Mercedes was staring at him, wide-eyed. "Okay, one, you totally just LIED to your boss and two, what conversations have you been having with him about me?"

"One, I don't care, he's totally the best boss in the world and two," he grinned, "well, you weren't the only one who was making some plans for this weekend. I mentioned to him that I was hoping you might be willing to consider a change in our relationship status. You just showed up early and beat me to it."

Mercedes eyed him critically. "Okay, fine," she finally said. "I'll give you a pass on that."

"Excellent. Thank you. And actually," he said slowly, "I didn't lie. Staying home, in bed with my wife all day, is SO going to be good for my mental health."

"Oh, so we're staying in bed all day?" Mercedes queried, actually not at all surprised by this suggestion, and Sam grinned, reaching for her.

"I mean – do you have a better idea?"

She laughed. "Not right this minute, no," she conceded as he pulled her in for a kiss and this time, she just let herself stay lost in the kiss and all that followed it.

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"I am _starving_ ," Mercedes said a few hours later, after they woke up for the second time that day

"That sounds about right," Sam agreed, flashing her a grin. "I told you you were a fast learner."

She laughed. "Maybe. But I have a good teacher too."

"Ooh. Flattery will get you everywhere," he teased.

"Yeah? Like where?"

"Like, into the kitchen where I will make you an amazing breakfast?"

"It's got to be almost noon!"

He glanced at his phone to check the time. "Just past 12:30, actually. But since when is breakfast not amazing anytime? Bacon, eggs –"

"Coffee."

"Yes. Definitely. Coffee," he agreed, already out of the bed and pulling on his pajama pants as Mercedes watched him.

"I will meet you in the kitchen in ten," she said. "I'm gonna take a quick shower."

"Want company?" he offered, not seriously expecting her to accept, and she smiled.

"Not yet – I think that might be a more advanced class than I'm ready for?" she said, and Sam nodded in understanding.

"Got it. Coffee it is then."

"I was also promised bacon and eggs?"

He grinned. "That too."

"And toast!" she called after him as he exited the bedroom.

True to her word, she joined him in the kitchen about ten minutes later, wearing a tank top and pajama pants of her own and gratefully accepted the mug of coffee he handed her.

"Cream and sugar on the table," he said, gesturing vaguely in that direction. "I know you like both but that you're also very particular about how much of each."

She laughed as she sat down and began the prep on her beverage. "I am constantly amazed at how much you paid attention to so many little things."

He shrugged. "I never really thought about it. They just – stayed in my brain."

"Well, it really means a lot to me," she said quietly, catching his hand as he walked over to the table with a plate of bacon. "Oh my God, that smells amazing!" she added, tugging his arm to pull him towards her so she could give him a kiss.

"Okay," she said later, after they had finished breakfast and had moved to the couch with second cups of coffee, "we have to figure out our song to sing at the glee reunion on Sunday." She got up and went to the bedroom to retrieve both of their phones, tossing his to him as she returned to the couch. "What about this one? It's Whitney and Enrique Iglesias." She hit play on the song 'Could I Have this Kiss Forever?' and they listened for a few moments. By the time the second verse was ending, Sam was shaking his head.

"Nope. Can't do it." At the disappointed look on Mercedes's face, he shook his head again. "'Cedes, it's a gorgeous song. But did you really listen to the lyrics? I cannot stand in front of all of our friends and sing about wanting to touch you and taste you and making you want no one but me."

"Oh. Well. Yeah. I guess maybe I didn't think that through."

Sam grinned slyly at her. "I mean, as soon as they find out we're married, they'll know we're sleeping together. We don't have to get up on stage and broadcast it for them."

Mercedes buried her face in her hands. "Okay, okay, I get the point! Next!"

Sam scrolled through his own iTunes. "Okay, if we're looking for a duet, how about this one?" He hit play on Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's 'It's Your Love' and they listened.

"I don't know," Mercedes said slowly. "It's beautiful – but I'm not sure it's quite right. Mark it as a maybe?"

Sam nodded and Mercedes turned back to her phone. "Okay, what about this? It's not a duet, but that doesn't really matter – and I mean, the first line is kind of perfect –" she hit play and sang along with Brian McKnight's 'Back at One.'

"It's undeniable – that we should be together –"

Sam grinned at that. "Okay, this one's a maybe too," he said, still scrolling through his phone.

"I know you're trying to find the perfect country song," she teased.

"Maybe…how 'bout this? The Chicks would be fun and unexpected for sure," he said, hitting play on 'If I Fall, You're Going Down With Me.'

"You say the night's got you acting crazy – I think there's something more," he sang along, and Mercedes laughed.

"Definitely would be unexpected. I do love them, though. Another maybe."

Sam nodded as they both returned to their phones. A couple minutes went by before Mercedes exclaimed happily, "I found it – this is it! And I know you have it too – it was in that movie we saw on a date my senior year, you know, the one that was like glee club went to church." She hit play and held out her phone to show him as the first piano notes began playing.

"Oh my God, yes! That's perfect. You don't get any more country than Dolly and Kris Kristofferson," Sam said happily.

"Yeah, and then there's the Dolly/Whitney/I Will Always Love You connection, so yes. It's perfect," Mercedes agreed.

Sam set his phone down, stood up and held his hand out to her. "Would you care to dance with me, Mrs. Evans?"

"Okay," she said slowly, looking a little confused as she took his hand and stood up.

He took her phone out of her hand, restarted the song and set the phone down before bringing his hand to her waist and pulling her close. "I just realized," he explained, "we haven't had a first dance since getting married. And you know, dances are kind of an important part of our story."

Mercedes smiled, resting her head on his shoulder as they slowly danced in the living room in their pajamas, singing along to the simple song.

"I hope you never stop asking me to dance," she said softly as the song came to end.

He smiled. "Never."


End file.
